When the pitch-black figure appeared in the corner, the flames of the candles surrounding the coffin suddenly flickered.
Through the flickering light, amidst the shifting shadows, Shen Bai saw the figure's true face.
He was an old man, only about five feet three inches tall, with silver-white hair and a beard that reached his chest. He had the transcendent air of a celestial immortal.
The Daoist robe he wore, in particular, enhanced his mysterious aura.
In his right hand, the old Daoist held a duster. With each wave, blasts of cold Qi emanated from it, causing the temperature in the room to drop by several degrees.
"Go in."
The old Daoist only spoke two words.
As Shen Bai watched, Miss Sun scrambled into the coffin on all fours and closed her eyes.
All around, the wavering candlelight returned to normal.
The old Daoist slowly paced over to the coffin, then laid the duster in his hand upon it.
The duster began to expand wildly. Passing through the gap at the top of the coffin, its strands pierced Miss Sun's scalp one by one.
The next moment, the cold Qi surged continuously into the top of Miss Sun's head, and the room's temperature dropped once more.
Seeing this, Shen Bai stroked his chin and thought, 'The waiter said Master Sun trusted a Daoist, paid a fortune for that giant Locust Tree, and had it made into a coffin. Now this old Daoist shows up... It seems he must be the same one Master Sun met.'
This guess sparked a question in Shen Bai's mind.
He knew the old Daoist was up to no good; the scene in the room was simply too bizarre and sinister.
But there was something Shen Bai couldn't figure out.
'Miss Sun may be a wealthy merchant's daughter, but at the end of the day, she's just an ordinary person. The old Daoist is clearly a Cultivator. Why would he be so vicious toward her?'
With this question nagging at him, Shen Bai decided to keep watching.
But before he could get closer to the window, he heard another set of footsteps.
'Looks like it's a lively night.'
Shen Bai turned, hid again in his previous spot, and continued to observe the owner of the footsteps.
As the footsteps neared, a person Shen Bai would never have expected appeared outside the room.
Master Sun, wearing his sleep clothes and sporting a round belly, looked left and right like a thief as he arrived at the room's door.
The lock on the door was already open.
If it were daytime, Master Sun would surely have flown into a rage, cursing the servants for not locking this door.
But now, at night, even though the door was open, Master Sun looked as if it were a common sight, showing no expression at all.
Master Sun knocked gently on the door, producing three muffled raps.
Before long, the old Daoist's aged voice came from within.
"Come in."
From Shen Bai's perspective, he could see a trace of excitement and agitation on Master Sun's face as he pushed open the closed door before him.
As the door swung open, the cold Qi inside billowed out, and a thin layer of frost appeared on the ground.
Master Sun rubbed his arms, feeling a chill, but still gritted his teeth, walked inside, and closed the door.
The moment the door closed, the surroundings fell silent once more. No one else approached the room.
Shen Bai emerged from the darkness, his curiosity growing. He quietly approached the door and once again peeked into the room.
After entering, Master Sun eagerly approached the coffin to look at his daughter.
But his eyes held none of the grief and anger from the daytime. Instead, they were filled with a secret excitement.
"Daoist Master, how are things?" Master Sun asked hurriedly.
The old Daoist glanced at Master Sun and said flatly, "The Locust Tree Borrowing Life technique has been cast. Your daughter will now automatically come lie in this coffin every day. Rest assured, this poor Daoist will return every few days to absorb your daughter's life force, which will naturally be shared with you."
"Thank you, Daoist Master! Thank you, Daoist Master!" Master Sun quickly gushed. "Daoist Master, how about you give me some life force now? I've been tormented by my illness recently, and my body can barely hold up."
"Yours is a terminal illness. Although I am a Cultivator, it is not a simple matter for me to cure it."
The Daoist pinched one end of his duster.
"Fine. I will grant you some life force today. With this life force, even though you're afflicted with a terminal illness, you will at least stay alive."
After saying this, the old Daoist raised his hand and tapped the spot between Master Sun's eyebrows.
The next moment, cold Qi also emanated from Master Sun's body, even colder than the surrounding air.
Shen Bai witnessed this entire scene. After connecting all the pieces, he finally understood what was happening.
He had heard the story of the Locust Tree Borrowing Life from some of the common folk in Shengyun County.
But before, he had always treated it as just a story.
The so-called Locust Tree Borrowing Life used the yin-attracting attribute of the Locust Tree to borrow its own lifespan, thereby extending another's life.
But looking at the situation now, Master Sun wasn't drawing life from the Locust Tree. Instead, he was using the Locust Tree to steal his daughter's life.
'What a wicked method,' Shen Bai thought.
In this world, no one is without a fear of death; even Shen Bai himself was afraid to die.
The wish to live a long life is one that no one can refuse.
But Shen Bai never expected that Master Sun would be so deranged as to turn on his own daughter.
Just as Shen Bai had this thought, there was a sudden movement from Master Sun.
The old Daoist withdrew his duster and draped it over his wrist. "How is it? Feeling better?"
Master Sun nodded hurriedly. "Much better. Thank you, Daoist Master. How many more times can I borrow life from my daughter?"
The old Daoist looked at Master Sun, then revealed a cold smile. "You can borrow as many times as you wish. Locust Tree Borrowing Life borrows the life of your relatives. As long as they have life force remaining, you can obtain it endlessly."
Master Sun nodded eagerly. "Then please, Daoist Master, draw more of my daughter's life force—as much as you can. I also have some brothers and sisters. In time, they can all be sent into the coffin."
The old Daoist held his head high and grunted faintly. "I will leave first. I shall return in a few days to draw more life force and place it within your body."
Master Sun put on a sycophantic expression. "Thank you, Daoist Master. Safe travels, Daoist Master."
The old Daoist flicked his sleeve, turned, and walked toward the door.
Master Sun, meanwhile, maintained his bootlicking demeanor and followed silently behind.
Just then, Master Sun's steps suddenly halted. His body trembled violently, as if in agony, and his gaze fell downward.
The old Daoist's duster had pierced through Master Sun's chest.
"Wha… what is happening?"
Master Sun snapped his head up, his face a mask of disbelief.
"What is happening? You are merely another vessel for me to store life force in."